Car-ventilator.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1902.

No. 729,222. I

- B. F. OROWTHERL GAR VENTILATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

jzwmiar PATENTED MAY 26, 1903. ,E. F. GR WTHERZ GAR VENTILATOR'.

APPLICATION rnlnn JULY 7, 1902.

4 SHEBT.SSHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

lizz/ezziai' PATENTED MAY 26', 1903..

E. P, GROWTHER GAR VENTILATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 7, 1902.

4 SHEETS- SHEET 8.

IO MODBL.

iatented Ma 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR F. OROVVTHER, OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

CAR-VENTI LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,282, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed July 7,1902- Serial No. 114,643. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR F. CROWTHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vicksburg, in the county of Warren and State 'of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Ventilators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car ventilators, and especially to that class of such ventilators wherein a fan driven from one of the car-axles operates to continuously take in a current of atmospheric air and force it into and th roughout the car; and it has for its object to provide novel mechanism for causing the fan to always rotate in one direction irrespective of the direction in which the car may travel.

To this end my invention consists in the features and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims followin g the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a railway passengeroar equipped with my improved ventilating apparatus, a portion of the car being broken away. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus for actuating the fans. Fig. 3 is a front. edge view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view thereof. Fig. 5 is a rear edge View. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the air-intake as viewed from one side of the car. Fig. 7 is-a similar View as viewed from one end of the car. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the same; and Fig. 9 is a detail plan View, partly in section, of the air supply and distributing system in the bottom of the car.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a passenger-car of ordinary construction provided on the opposite sides of the top with air-ventilators 2, from which lead pipes 3, which extend from the top of the car downone end of the same and beneath the bottom of the car to fans 4, and from" the latter extend air-discharge pipes 41, which are in communication with jet-pipes under the seats of the car, the arrangement being such that the fans operate to conduct the currents of air and discharge the same beneath each of the seats of the car. The rotary fans 4 are of any ordinary or suitable construction and are inclosed within frames or housings 5 which are attached to the bottom of the car, the two fans being mounted on a shaft 6, that is common to both of them. On the fan-shaft 6 is a friction-wheel 7.

The numeral 8 indicates one of the car-axles, 9 the oar-wheels fixed thereon, and 10 a friction-wheel which is fixed on the car-axle intermediate its ends.

Attached to the bottom of the car are brackets 11, to which are-pivotally secured hangers 12. The hangers 12 are each vertically slotted, as at 13, and are provided at their lower ends with semicircular enlargements 14. In the slots 13 of the hangers are arrangedvertically-movable journal-boxes 15, in which is journaled a shaft 16, having fixed thereon intermediate its ends a wheel 17, that is normally held in engagement with the frictionwheel 10 by a spring 18. Each of the enlargements or cheeks 14 is provided with a perforated ear or lug 19, and to said lugs are pivotally connected rods 20, which at their other ends project through perforated brackets 21, secured to the bottom of the car, said rods being provided at their extremities with nuts 21*, between which and the said perforated brackets are arranged spiral springs 22.

Between the two cheeks 14 is arranged a Shoe consisting of a segment-shaped piece of metal 23, which is slotted, as at 24, and conforms to the curvature of the cheeks 14. In the slotted portion of said shoe is journaled a roller 24*, which is adapted to frictionally engage the periphery of the roller or the wheel 7, fixed upon the fan-shaft, and the wheel 17. When the car is running in one direction, such as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the wheel 10 of the car-axle revolves in frictional contact with the wheel 17, and the pulley 24, carried by the shoe, revolves in contact with the wheel 17 and with the wheel 7 on the fan-shaft and rotates the fan-shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow 25. Arranged upon the inner or adjacent sides of the cheek-pieces 14 are lugs 26 and 27. When the parts are rotating in the direction above described, the lower end of the shoe will engage the lugs 27, holding the shoe and the roller 24 in such position relatively to the wheels 17 and 7 that the rotation will be as described. Now let it be assumed that the car is caused to travel in a direction opposite to that before referred to, then the rotation of the wheel will be reversed and will cause the wheel 17 to rotate in a direction opposite to that of the hands of a clock. This movement of the wheel 17 has a tendency to roll thetroller 24 out of contact with the wheel 7 and move the shoe upwardly until its upper end comes in contact with the lugs 26, which arrest its further movement in such direction. The movement of the shoe is facilitated by the rolling action of the rollers 29, which are journaled in the ends of the shoe and have a free rollerbearing on the periphery of the wheel 17. Attached to each of the opposite sides of the shoe 23 are perforated lugs 30, and formed on the inner adjacent faces of the cheeks 14 are segmental tracks 31. Connected to the said lugs by coiled springs 32 are shoes 33, which have journaled in their inner ends grooved rollers 34, that engage the inner circumference of the tracks 31. By means of the springs, supported shoes, the tracks, and grooved rollers the shoe 23 is held in position that the roller 24 will be held in intimate frictional contact with the wheels 7 and 17 as long as the car travels in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. When the car travels in the reverse direction, however, the roller 24' rolls out of contact with the wheel 7, and

the springs 22 then draw the periphery of the wheel 17 into frictional contact with the periphery of the wheel 7, whereupon it will be manifest that the fan-shaft will be continued to be driven in the same direction in which the car-axle previously operated to drive it. It will thus be manifest that the fans will be driven in the same direction irrespective of the direction in which the car may travel that is to say, when the car is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 the fan will be driven in the direction indicated by the arrow 25 through the medium of the roller 24; but the moment the direction of travel is reversed the roller 24 will be thrown out of contact with the roller7, and the springs 22 will then draw the rollers 17 into frictional engagement with the roller 7. Hence the fanshaft will continue to revolve in the same direction.

The preferred arrangement for feeding air to the ventilator-fans and from the latter to the interior of the car is as follows: The airventilators 2, which, as before described, are arranged on the opposite sides of the top of the car, intermediate the ends of the latter, each comprise a vertical rectangular casing closed on three sides and at its top, as shown most clearly in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, the side 35 of the dome of the car serving to close the fourth side of the said casing and the roof of the car closing the bottom thereof. The casing is attached to the roof and dome of the car by any suitable means. Disposed centrally in the said casing is a vertical flue 36, consisting of an imperforate shell, substantially U-shaped in cross-section-that is to say, it is closed on three sides, its fourth side being closed by the side 35 of the dome. The flue 36 terminates at a point beneath the top of the casing 2 and is open at its upper end and extends down through the roof of the car, said fine at its lower end being connected to the pipe 3, that extends beneath the roof of the car and longitudinally of the latter, down one end of the same, and beneath the bottom of the car to the fans 4. Formed in the front and rear sides of the casing 2 are vertical rectangular openings,which are preferably of the same dimensions as the flue 36 and are in alinment therewith. Said openings are covered by screens 40, which serve to freely admitthe air and at the same time exclude soot and cinders. Leading from the discharge-opening of each of the fans 4 is a pipe 41, the free end 37 of which is bent to form an elbow, which is in communication with the atmosphere. Extending longitudinally along the side of the car and parallel to the lower horizontal portion of the pipe 3 is a pipe 42, which is connected by a short branch pipe 43 with the pipe 41, near the end of the latter, and arranged in the pipe 41, opposite the branch pipe 43, is an oscillating valve 44, provided with a handle 45, by means of which the valve may be turned by hand. As shown in Fig. 9, the valve 44 may be turned in such manner as to entirely close the outlet end of the pipe 41 and open communication between the pipe 41 and the pipe 42, so that all the air forced through the pipe 41 by the rotary fan is driven into the distributingpipe 42 and is discharged by the latter and perforated or jets pipes 46 beneath the carseats, or the valve may be turned into such position that a portion of the air may be diverted into the distributing'pipe 42 and the remainder discharged into the atmosphere through the discharge end 37 of the pipe 41. By means of the said valve if the amount of air supplied to the car by the fan becomes excessive a portion of it may be discharged into the atmosphere, or the supply of air to the car may be entirely out off by means of said valve, and in this manner the amount of air supplied to the car maybe precisely regulated. Formed in the pipe 41, between the fan and the valve 44, is an aperture normally covered by a hinged valve 47, said valve being held to its seat by a spring 48, the spring in practice being of such strength that the valve will be held closed under all ordinary circumstances; but should the amount of air supplied by the fan to the car become excessiveas, for example, owing to the train running at an unusual or abnormal speedthe pressure of the air in the pipe 41 will overcome the tension of the spring and the valve will automatically open and form an exit for the air in excess of that needed for the purpose of ventilation. The valve thus constitutes a safety relief-valve that automatically prevents an excessive amount of air being introduced into the car. Leading from the upper side of the distributing-pipe 42 at suitable intervals are vertical branch pipes 49, which pass up through the flooring of the car and are connected to perforated or jet pipes 46, which are arranged beneath the car-seats and are each provided with a plurality of small perforations forming jet-openings through which the air is discharged under said seats.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a railway-car, a ventilator comprising a rotary fan and a shaft, a friction-pulley mounted on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, an intermediate pulley in frictional contact with the pulley on the car-axle, an idler-roller arranged to contact with both the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fan-shaft and rotate the fan-shaft when the car is running in one direction, and means for automatically shifting the idler-pulley out of contact with the pulley on the fanshaft and for throwing the intermediate pulley into contact with the fan-shaft pulley when the car moves in the opposite direction,

substantially as described.

' for limiting 2. In a railway-car, a ventilator comprising a rotatable ventilating fan-shaft and a fan thereon, a friction-pulley on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, and an intermediate pulley in frictional contact with the pulley on the axle, a shoe, an idler-roller carried by the shoe and arranged to contact with both the intermediate pulley and the fan-shaft pulley and rotate the fan when the car is running in one direction, and means the movement of said shoe in either direction, substantially as described.

3. In a railway-car, a ventilator comprising a rotary shaft and a ventilating-fan mounted thereon, a friction-pulley on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, an intermediate friction-pulley arranged to rotate in contact with the pulley on the axle, a shoe having a limited movement between the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fanshaft, an idler-roller carried by said shoe and adapted to contact with the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fan-shaft, means for limiting the movement of said shoe, means for holding the idler-roller in contact with the intermediate pulley, substantially as described.

4. In a car-ventilator, thecombination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a friction-pulley on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fanshaft,-an intermediate pulleyin engagement with the pulley on the axle, a shoe arranged to move about the periphery of the intermediate pulley, means for limiting the movement of said shoe, an idler-roller carried by said shoe and arranged to contact with both the intermediate and fan-shaft pulleys when the car is running in one direction,'and to move out of contact with the pulley on the fan-shaft when the car moves in the opposite direction, and antifriction-rollers carried by said shoe and arranged to engage the periphery of the intermediate pulley, substantially as described.

5.- In a car-ventilator, the combination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a friction-pulley on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fanshaft, an intermediate pulley arranged to contact with both the two friction-pulleys when the car is running in one direction, a shoe movable about the intermediate pulley and between the latter and the friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, and an idler-roller carried by the shoe and arranged to contact with the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fanshaft when the car is running in the other direction and arranged to roll out of contact with the fan-shaft pulley when the motion of the car is reversed, substantially as described.

6. In a car-ventilator, the combination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a friction-pulley on the car-axle, a friction-pulley on the fanshaft, an intermediate pulley arranged to contact with both the two friction-pulleys whenthe car is running in one direction, a shoe movable about the intermediate pulley and between the latter andthe friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, an idler-roller carried by the shoe and operating to contact with the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fanshaft when the car is running in the other direction, and arranged to roll out of contact with the fan-shaft when the motion of the car is reversed, and means for throwing the intermediate pulley into contact with the fanshaft when the idler-roller moves out of contact with the last-named pulley, substantially as described.

7. In a car-ventilator, the combination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a'friction-pulley on the car-axle, shaft, a vertically and laterally yielding intermediate pulley arranged to contact with both the two friction-pulleys when the car is running in one direction, a shoe movable about the intermediate pulley and between the latter and the friction-pulley on the fanshaft, and an idler-roller carried by the shoe and operating to contact with the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fan-shaft when the car is running in the other direction and arranged to roll out of contact with the fan-shaft when the motion of the car is reversed, substantially as described.

8. In a car-ventilator, the combination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, a friction-pulley on the caraxle, two parallel hangers loosely pendent from the bottom of the car, an intermediate a friction-pulley on the fanpulley journaled in said hangers and contacting with the pulley on the car-axle, a segment-shaped shoe arranged between the hangers and movable for a limited distance about the intermediate pulley and between the latter and the pulley on the fan-shaft, an idler-roller carried by the shoe and to contact with'the intermediate pulley and arranged the fan-shaft pulley when the car is running in one direction and to move out of contact with the fan-shaft when the direction of the car is reversed, and means for drawing the intermediate pulley into contact with the fanshaft pulley when the idler-roller is moved out of engagement with the last-named pulley, substantially as described.

9. In acar-ventilator, the combination with a rotary ventilating-fan, of a friction-pulley on the fan-shaft, a friction-pulley on the caraxle, two parallel hangers loosely pendent from the bottom of the car, an intermediate pulley journaled in said hangers to contact with the pulley on the car-axle, a segmentshaped shoe arranged between the hangers and movable for a limited distance about the intermediate pulley and between the latter and the pulley on the fan-shaft, an idlerroller carried by the shoe and arranged to contact with the intermediate pulley and the pulley on the fan-shaft when the car is running in one direction and to move out of contact with the fan-shaft when the direction of the car is reversed, means for drawing the intermediate pulley into contact with the fanshaft pulley when the idler-roller moves out of contact with the last-named pulley, antifriction-rollers carried by the ends of the shoe, segment-shaped tracks on the inner sides of the hangers, roller-supports each yieldingly connected at its two outer ends to the shoe, and rollers journaled on the inner ends of said supports and bearing on the inner edges of said tracks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR F. CROWTHER.

Witnesses:

F. B. KEEFER, JAMES L. NORRIS. 

